Dota 2 Tournament Prize Nears $3 Million Thanks To Gamers

The International, an upcoming Dota 2 tournament, had an initial prize pool of $1.6 million. Those who are interested in setting up fantasy teams, earning in-game rewards, or just keeping a closer eye on competitive Dota 2 can purchase the Compendium, a digital book, for $10. From each purchase, $2.50 is sent into the grand prize pool.

Since the Compendium released in May, the pot has grown to over $2.7 million. By the numbers, that means over 400,000 Compendiums have been sold. Breaking the $2.6 million mark unlocked a new Immortal item for Compendium owners; the next and final reward will be available when the prize pool hits $3.2 million, and will allow Compendium owners to select the next Hero for Dota 2.

Our TakeLeave it to Valve to offer one of the most compelling ways to experience e-sports. I bought the Compendium earlier this year during a time-sucking Dota 2 phase. Just for purchasing it, I received an in-game courier. The rewards have since expanded to include more in-game items, and if I had more knowledge of Dota 2, I'd probably check out the included fantasy team features. I try to limit my time with this game, but I'll be glued to my computer monitor from August 7-11.

While I prefer League of Legends to Dota 2 I still love to watch it being an old Dota Allstars player. Really is impressive how much money there is in esports now between this and the LCS players in LoL getting paid an actual salary it's a pretty exciting time for esports. I'm more excited for Valve's announcement at the tournament even though I'm 99% sure it is going to be Dota related I still hold out hope for Half Life. It's good to see companies using the paid part of free to play games to actually give back the community of the game even if it is the super small pro part of the game.